Everyone loves a dip in the pool during the weekends to play with family and friends. For some, spring is incomplete without great barbecues by the poolside. But, we detest the pool in winter and hate cleaning it. We believe that the best way to clean your swimming pool is to have a regular cycle that helps you in the long run.
We know you put your heart and soul to convert your dream swimming pool into a reality. From selecting the pool type to its design. We spend lengthy discussions with pool builders looks at the details such as the color of the tile. The list goes on and on. If you have a swimming pool in your backyard, we understand its importance in your life. Slight negligence can cause high damage to your pool, and that’s why we have come up with a checklist for swimming pool maintenance. We have divided all the points into four major categories – Daily Maintenance, Weekly Maintenance, Monthly Maintenance, and Yearly Maintenance.
Before jumping on four categories, ensure you have checked the following –
- Children tend to experiment with all the new activities and are more prone to copy the adults. If you have children at home, make sure you have closed the door, and your pool is adequately covered.
- Make sure you don’t have any sharp objects left on the floor near the swimming pool.
- Whenever you are about to use the pool, having a bird’s eye view around is always a to-do thing. Make sure you don’t have any foreign objects around.
- If you find your pool pump making noise, first rectify the problem. You can check the Pool Pump Maintenance checklist here.
This post aims to guide you through a few small checkpoints and hope they will help you develop a cleaning habit that manages your pool better.
A Daily, Weekly, Monthly and yearly guide to help you have a Shining pool
Daily Pool Maintenance
- Check Water Level
A daily glance to check on water level helps us by letting us know whether the water level is high or low. If the water level is too high, the skimmers won’t be able to skim, and if the level is too low, the skimmers will start sucking air. Thus, we need to check on the water level regularly. In the case of rainwater filling up the pool, we need to use a siphon or an additional pump to remove the excess water.
- Check Pump and Filler
Even though the step may seem as insignificant but checking up on the filter pressure gauge will let us know if the water is flowing normally to the pump. A lower pressure indicates that something is wrong with the flow before the impeller while higher pressure suggests that something is wrong in the stream after the impeller.
- Check pH and Chlorine Level
Checking pH and chlorine level of the water in your pool is necessarily not an everyday job, but it is something that we should check up at least 2-3 times weekly for more extended usage and life. pH and chlorine level should be consistent it is advised to maintain a pH of 7.4 to 7.6 and chlorine level of 120 PPM
- Checking on Fence and Gates
The fence around the pool needs to be strong and sturdy. It must be locked during the times when the pool area is not in use. We must keep gates closed to avoid the risk of animals or children entering the pool area. Remove any items near the fence line which can be used to crossover.
- Check Pool Cleaner
We must clean pool two to three times a week, that does not mean that we over clean the pool and in doing so cause wear and tear to the pump. A pool should be cleaned once or twice a week and not more than the scheduled time for cleaning. If you are using a pressure cleaner the advisable time is of 1 to 3 hours, the same changes to 2-3 hours if a suction cleaner is used to clean the pool.
Additional Read: Tips To Maintain A Saltwater Swimming Pool
Weekly Pool Maintenance
- Clean Pool Once a Week
Cleaning here means the skimming of the surface, vacuuming the pool and brushing the walls and floors or pool. We sweep the walls and floor to prevent algae formation and improve the circulation of water.
- Check Total Alkalinity
Keeping a consistent level of alkalinity can be achieved by maintaining the pH level consistent. A high TA makes it difficult for pH adjustment and a low TA level makes it difficult for us to control pH.
- Add acid to lower TA level.
- Add sodium bicarbonate to increase the TA level.
- Ideal TA range should be 80 to 1 20 ppm.
- Clean Pool Deck Areas
Maintaining cleanliness around the pool area from dirt, dry flowers, and leaves. It is one of the most basic and essential steps to have a clean pool. If leaves become a recurring problem, it is advised to trim the leaves of trees and plants around the swimming pool.
Monthly Pool Maintenance
- Clean Pool Filter
No matter how well or how long the filter has been operating, a 2-minute check up on the personal functioning of the filter is essential. If the gauge filler is higher than 5 to 10 PSI than average, the filler needs to be removed and back washed.
- Shock the Pool
Once every month we need to raise the chlorine level from level to 5 to 10 PPM this will help us to kill any bacteria or algae.
- Check Calcium and Cyanuric Acid
The hardness of water is a necessary evil; we need to check up on the level of Calcium and Cyanuric Acid once every month, if the level is found to be undesirable we need to make the necessary adjustments. Ideally, for Calcium, the hardness needs to be in the level of in the region of 200 to 400 ppm while for Cyanuric Acid should be in the range of 30 to 40 ppm.
- Clean Water Line and Skimmers
We often forget the importance of cleaning skimmers before putting them in a pool. It is a common observation that we remember to clean skimmers bring dirt and the skimmers bring trash to the pool. We must clean up skimmers by removing excess oil and dirt using a scrubbing sponge and a dishwasher for effective cleaning.
Yearly Pool Maintenance
- Clean Dive and Slide Surfaces
The surface of the slide and dives develop a layer of oil and dirt. This same detergent needs to be used to clean the adjoining tiles. Use a detergent and scrubbing brush for effective cleaning. It’s best to avoid splashing the detergent solution into the pool.
- Check for loose and missing bolts
Over the course of time the diving board bolts, ladder tread bolts on slides and pool ladders may be lost, one must make a yearly check up on this.
- Pool Cleaner Servicing
Pool cleaners are most prone to wear and tear, a yearly inspection and servicing of helps us to replace parts not fit for use.
- Clean Filter Thoroughly
Oil and dirt tend to settle on the surface of a filter after prolonged use. Once every year the filters need to be removed and thoroughly cleaned. A jet spray is insufficient to clean, and hence the filters need to soak in a chemical bath designed especially filters.
- Lubricate O-rings
All the o rings should be removed once a year, use silicone grease and a thin layer of Teflon pool lube. Don’t use Vaseline, or other Petroleum lube, which can damage the rubber.